Exposure of Primate Reservoir Hosts to Mosquito Vectors in Malaysian Borneo

AbstractSeveral vector-borne pathogens of primates have potential for human spillover. An example is the simian malariaPlasmodium knowlesi which is now a major public health problem in Malaysia. Characterization of exposure to mosquito vectors is essential for assessment of the force of infection within wild simian populations, however few methods exist to do so. Here we demonstrate the use of thermal imaging and mosquito magnet independence traps (MMIT) to assess the abundance, diversity and infection rates in mosquitoes host seeking near long-tailed macaque (Macaca fasicularis) sleeping sites in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, Malaysian Borneo. The primaryPlasmodium knowlesi vector,Anopheles balabacensis, was trapped at higher abundance near sleeping sites than control trees. Although none of theAn. balabacensis collected (n = 15) were positive forP. knowlesi by PCR screening, two were infected with another simian malariaPlasmodium inui. Analysis of macaque stools from sleeping sites confirmed a high prevalence ofPlasmodium infection, suspected to beP. inui. Recently, natural transmission ofP. inui has been detected in humans andAn. cracens in Peninsular Malaysia. The presence ofP. inui inAn. balabacensis here and previously in human-biting collections highlight its potential for spillover from macaques to humans in Sabah. We advocate the use of MMITs for non-invasive sampling of mosquito vectors that host seek on wild simian populations.
Source: EcoHealth - Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research